On the Town - Branson

 

IN BRIEF

BY THE NUMBERS: Silver Dollar City
6: number of annual festivals, including Kids Fest (through Aug. 9), the largest children's festival in the US
24: number of rides
60: number of acres
100: number of resident craftsmen, including glassblowers, potters and basket makers
22,832: total feet of track
90,000: pounds of candy made per year at Brown's Candy Factory
104,000: pounds of grain used per year to feed the horses at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede

This pioneer village theme park is one of Branson's most popular attractions. www.silverdollarcity.com

WHAT IS ROUTE 76?
Known as the Strip, Highway 76 is Branson's main drag, home to most of the top attractions and shows. When you are on 76, you are high atop the Ozarks plateau, and you get a vision of neon and nature.

DID YOU KNOW? Before Marvel Cave became Branson's first tourist attraction in 1894, it was called "The Devil's Den" by the Osage Indians in the 16th century. Miners explored the cave in the late 1800s but came out empty handed. Silver Dollar City was built around the entrance; a tour is included with admission.

TIMELINE // 1882: Branson is named for Rueben Branson, who opened a general store that later became the post office. // 1907: Harold Bell Wright pens The Shepherd of the Hills, which documents the life of settlers in the Ozark Mountains and inspires people to travel to the area. // 1912: The City of Branson is incorporated with 1,200 residents. // 1957: Construction of the Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery begins. It's the largest trout production facility in the state, producing 1,125,000 catchable trout per year. // 1958: Table Rock Dam is built, creating Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Taneycomo and Table Rock Lake // 2004: AP names Branson one of the top 20 overnight leisure destinations in the US // 2007: Branson Landing, a 95-acre shopping, dining and entertainment complex, opens in downtown Branson.

DID YOU KNOW? Branson Airport, which opened in May is the first privately financed and operated commercial service airport in the US.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Adventure-seekers will take pleasure in the area's 200-plus miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, and 300-plus miles of canoe/kayak accessible rivers, streams and creeks.